


Fading Away

by NorthsWhite



Series: Writing Challenges [6]
Category: Peter Pan & Related Fandoms, Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 06:59:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3519731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthsWhite/pseuds/NorthsWhite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is part of the Challenges (I forgot which number this is...) but basically it said: "You are a kid's imaginary friend. He is growing up. You are fading away".</p><p>So I'm taking the liberty to take a loved children story: Peter Pan, and adjust it to our real life. So in this short story Peter Pan is a normal kid with a wide imagination, all his adventures in Neverland have been part of his incredible imagination, but as he grows up the world around him demand him to see reality for what it is and leave his imagination for dreaming.</p><p>I love this story, so please don't think I am about to destroy it... it is not my intention to do so. So if you prefer to believe in a boy who never grows up, please don't continue reading. You've been warned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fading Away

Tinkerbell sighed as she rested her back against Hook's arm. It had been a while since they had fought each other, it had been even longer since they had ran away or towards the other one as well. Things had been changing for a while now, they just hadn't noticed it as much as that night.

The stars shone brightly, London had a cloudless sky for the first time in weeks, and they could clearly see the second star to the right. Captain and pixie stared at it in silence, feeling the nostalgia fill their lungs as they took in a yearning breath. Peter was seated next to them, oblivious to their presence as he tried to concentrate on that night's homework. Some time ago, homework was the best way to get him to pay attention to them. But lately, it made them all the more invisible.

\- Peter- Tinkerbell called, flying to his ear and tinkling brightly - Peter, let's go and play!-

\- Tink? Tink is that you?- he wondered, turning to the green spot of light. He hated to admit it, but there were times when he wasn't sure of wether he could still see her face; after all that time together, he had begun to forget her.

\- Yes!- she exclaimed with sudden hope - Yes Peter, it is me. Come one, Neverland awaits-

\- Aye, Boy!- Hook, unpeeled his back from the wall with a vicious grin. He knew what came next, how he would do some nasty thing to get the boy's attention and how boy and fairy would turn on him and make him the fool by the night's end. He could hardly wait for the game to start again - Neverland awaits us both, and in it all sort of adventures-

\- Hook!- he startled from his chair, reaching for a knife that was not there. He seemed genuinely surprised, like he hadn't noticed the tall pirate in his room.

Tinkerbell tinked joyfully around him, already celebrating their triumph, already planning ahead for all the fun games they were about to begin. The captain was chuckling under his breath, playing with his well combed beard and his hook. The whole image was quite familiar to Peter, and to anyone that had ever played with them in the Neverland. But his lost boys where now grown and busy, and Wendy had long mocked him for his imaginative foolery.

Peter looked at them with bright young eyes, but there was a strange glow in them. A glow that Tinkerbell and Hook had been seeing out of late and had learned to dread.

\- I can't go with you- Peter sighed, seating himself back to the desk where his algebra homework awaited - I have all this work... maybe tomorrow?-

\- Maybe tomorrow- Tinkerbell agreed, flying low and towards the open math book.

Hook, however, wasn't about to give up. Not again. So he jumped across the room in one swift stride and directed his glittering hook towards the treacherous homework, to the reason of his boredom and oncoming doom. Peter didn't even move, he just stared blankly at his work as Hook's claw went through him and through his papers. Tinker bell stared horrorstruck at the boy she had loved and felt a single tear fall from her eyes; it was happening again and she couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take being invisible and ignored, not after they had been so close to being recognized again.

Hook was relentlessly trying to get Peter's attention; he had taken out his sword and was starting to stab at him, he tried to stand over his homework to make him stop ignoring him. But no matter what Hook did, Peter still focused on his algebra.

\- Peter?- Tinker bell's voice was an almost inaudible whisper as she gathered strength to fly and hover in front of his eyes. 

The youth in his eyes had disappeared again; there was only that growing glint to them, the one that said he was too busy for playing games, the one that said that his imagination was no longer an active part of him. The two imaginary friends looked at each other with worried eyes, they had never felt this emptiness before, but they had heard it from other imaginary friends they had encountered. They had all said that when their kid grew, they slowly faded away but not completely. They would see their child grow and become an adult, they would see him struggle and make mistakes, and they would forever try to get him back. But he would never see them again; he had given up that part of himself to society and propriety. 

\- Until you die, my boy- the pirate whispered to his unhearing ear. For they had learned that only then did their kids see them again. - Then we will meet once more-

\- And we shall have the most amazing adventures together- Tinkerbell added, patting Hook's shoulder with an affection that he had already forgotten.

"He didn't recall", Think thought sadly, "he can't recall all the adventures  _we_ had together when he was but a boy. Just like Peter won't recall us either."

\- Tink?- Hook called, staring into her little eyes - What's the matter?-

\- Nothing James- she sighed, using his real name for the first time in a while - I was just remembering all of  _our_ adventures-

\- I'll miss him- he confessed, turning his gaze back to the working boy - Adventures won't be the same without him-

\- Maybe one day- she said - Maybe one day, we may have a whole new adventure together. And maybe one day we can all remember each other the way it used to be-

\- Remember?- James turned to her with a hard expression

\- Yes, James... remember- she sounded tired as she sat back at Peter's desk. He couldn't see her, and James couldn't remember her. So what was the point if they would never be the same together? What was the point if - We have all faded away, you know?-

She looked at both her boys, the two she had always loved, but neither had heard her. And silently, as silently as she could manage, she tried not to cry.


End file.
